June 20, 2013

Corruption rocks teacher’s recruitment in Hurungwe

Hurungwe- Senior education officers and some headmasters in Hurungwe northcircuit are accused of corruptly replacing unqualified teachers in dubiouscircumstances.

Investigations carried by The Weekly Mirror here exposed that some unqualified teachers at Chikova primary school under Chief Kazangarare

60 kilometres north of Karoi were replaced in suspicious manner.

Sources revealed that a former Grade Seven teacher Munetsi Nyika wasreplaced by another untrained teacher though it is a standing rulethat Grade One and Seven classes are sensitive to be replaced unless if itis by a qualified teacher.

‘’One teacher (name withheld) was at the school for four years teaching Grade seven which is a sensitive class as the pupils are due for exams in October was replaced by another unqualified teacher. What criteria was used no one knows’’ said a source.

The scandal exposed poor performers being taken on board

while those who excel were expelled dampening spirits of excellence in thedistrict.

‘’If education officials want to replace unqualified teachers it

must be transparent as one who was teaching Grade 4 scored 52% during result based management (RBM) was dismissed leaving oneteacher, who scored 2 percent because she is linked to a seniorteacher at the school’’ added another source who refused to be namedfor professional reasons.

However, sources added that one female teacher; Mavis Mukwasi’sposition was declared vacant by two schools last term raisingsuspicion of underhand dealings.

‘’Mukwasi was declared at Dete and Chikova primary schools exposing

double standards. It means she was at both schools in January which is

unheard of professionally. Something is amiss and Government mustprobe this as a matter of urgency’’ added a source.

Mukwasi admitted in a telephone interview that her vacant post wasdeclared by two schools.

‘’I do not know why Dete headmaster declared my vacant post when Chikovaheadmaster also declared me. I do not suspect anything wrong over this asam at work at my new school at Chikova’’ said Mukwasi in a telephoneinterview.

‘’Recruitment of teachers is a circus as the goal posts are changedevery new term to frustrate us. This will affect pupils in thedistrict’’ added another source.

Hurungwe north district education inspector Mavis Ndoro who deploysteachers could not be reached comment at time of writing.

However, provincial education officer Sylvester Mashayamombe demanded thatwe sent questions to his offices for comment.

‘’Send your questions through fax so that we can answer the

allegations. We forward some questions to higher offices.”, said Mashayamombe.

Zimbabwe education sector is battling to recover following the 2008social, political and economical crisis that gripped the country whenseveral thousands of trained personnel in health, education and other